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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24559210">(Surprisingly Good) Brotherly Advice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace'>sugarandspace</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Good Parabatai Jace Wayland, Self-Harm, Sparring, Supportive Jace Wayland, Talking, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:29:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,540</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24559210</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is clearly bothering Alec and Jace can’t go to sleep before he finds out what is going on. Surprisingly he ends up giving pretty good advice.</p>
<p>Takes place after the wedding but before Malec moves to Alicante.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alec Lightwood &amp; Jace Wayland, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood (background)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>145</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>(Surprisingly Good) Brotherly Advice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonlightBreeze/gifts">MoonlightBreeze</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the wonderful Em, who asked for a fic where Jace finds Alec training too hard.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jace has felt the general unease underneath his skin for the better part of the day. He knew it was coming from Alec but it didn’t feel urgent enough to find the other man and make him talk. When the night falls and it’s way past the time Alec usually goes back home and Alec has still not calmed down, he starts to really worry. When he starts to feel the ache in his hands he knows he can no longer ignore it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He needs to find Alec and he can already guess where he’ll find his parabatai.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Usually,  Jace loves nothing more than being right. It’s different now, however, when he turns the corner to the training room and finds Alec there alone, throwing punches at a punching bag. He doesn’t need to see Alec’s hands to know that he hasn’t wrapped them, the pain in Jace’s own strong enough that it must be close to unbearable for Alec.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Alec keeps hitting the bag like his life depends on it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s really not good for you,” Jace says as he walks into the room. Alec doesn’t turn to look at him, doesn’t even stop what he’s doing. He’s out of breath as he answers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go away, Jace.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You and I both know I’m not going to do that,” Jace replies, and he ignores the wave of irritation that comes through their bond. He can’t let his brother keep hurting himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jace rests a hand on Alec’s shoulder and Alec turns around swiftly, his chest heaving as he glares down at Jace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Go. Away,” Alec says again, and his words come out half as a growl. Jace doesn’t bat an eyelid. He knows that Alec is not really angry at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Either you go home to Magnus or we spar,” Jace says, giving Alec an option. He understands that Magnus is the person Alec feels the most comfortable talking to, and Jace accepts that. But there must also be a reason Alec hasn’t already done that.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His guess is right when Alec pushes him back and walks to where the wooden staffs are kept.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright,” Jace says and catches the staff Alec throws at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They fall into a familiar rhythm, the only noises in the room coming from their staffs coming to contact or the grunts and groans that leave their lips. Alec is putting a lot of energy into his hits but it’s clear that his mind is not completely in the fight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Jace asks after a while.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Alec replies through gritted teeth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you are just going to keep sulking?” Jace asks, blocking a particularly nasty hit from Alec.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not sulking,” Alec denies.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You aren’t fooling anyone, Alec,” Jace calls his weak bluff. “Least of all me, or Magnus. He’s going to notice the second you go home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shut up,” Alec says again, moving forward and forcing Jace to move back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I assume that’s the reason you haven’t gone home yet,” Jace continues as if Alec never said a thing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec’s next hit has so much force behind it that his staff breaks as it makes contact with Jace’s.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It’s like something in Alec snaps too, because his tone doesn’t have any of the anger it previously had when he talks next.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t tell him,” he says. He turns and walks away to place the broken staff next to the wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What do you mean?” Jace asks. His tone is calmer too, now that he’s got Alec to open up. He goes to put his own staff away and sits next to Alec on a bench in the training room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec is leaning his elbows to his knees and his head is hanging low in defeat, his bruised hands clasped behind his head in a way that looks uncomfortable. He speaks so quietly Jace almost misses his words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They have offered me a position in Alicante.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alec that’s great! What kind of position?” Jace asks as he hits Alec’s shoulder. As long as Jace has known his brother, Alec has been aiming towards a high-ranking position. It’s what he has been training for his whole life.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But as Jace hears the answer, whispered towards Alec’s shoes with a tone that’s defeated rather than joyous, he wonders what has changed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They want me to be the new Inquisitor.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t want that?” Jace questions, his tone confused. He truly can’t imagine anyone better than Alec for the position.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I want it,” Alec says. He lifts his head so he’s finally looking at Jace again. “I want it more than almost anything in the world. That position would help me unite the Shadow World. It’s something I haven’t even dared to dream about. I never thought they would want me there.”(surprisingly Good) Brt</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is stopping you?” Jace asks, still not seeing a problem.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t leave Magnus,” Alec says. His tone is certain, leaving no room for argument. “I can’t go home, because Magnus will notice that something is going on, and I’m going to tell him, and he’s going to feel bad. We’ve already been through this once, and he knows I won’t leave him. But he also knows what the position would mean to me and he’s going to feel responsible for me not being able to accept it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” Jace answers eloquently, because what is he supposed to say to that. He hadn’t considered that Downworlders can’t live in Alicante and it probably wouldn’t be practical for Alec to portal there every day, even if he has a warlock husband who wouldn’t mind taking care of his transport to work and back home.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Alec says. “I know I need to tell him but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alec’s words fade to silence, showing how lost he feels with the situation. Jace knows that if it came to that and Alec had to choose, he would never regret picking Magnus. But he would be sad to pass the opportunity to work as the inquisitor and have better means to accomplish change.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly something comes to Jace’s mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do they want you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?” Alec asks, looking back at Jace.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why do they want you to be the next Inquisitor?” Jace asks.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They want a better relationship with the Downworld,” Alec explains. “They’ve seen the results we have accomplished here in New York, and believe that having me as the Inquisitor would help build some trust.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“They know you are together with Magnus,” Jace says.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Alec says, a small smile on his lips. “If my first wedding wasn’t enough, they should have gotten the point after the second.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jace rolls his eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You have a point there,” he says. “What I meant is that they know you’re with him, and they must know that you’re not going to leave him for a job. Why would they offer you this job if they weren’t willing to do some kind of a compromise?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You think-” Alec starts but Jace cuts him off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s the warlock who saved Alicante,” Jace says. “They owe him. They need to let him move there with you. You should send them a message first thing tomorrow and demand that you’ll only accept the position if Magnus can move to Alicante with you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Suddenly Alec doesn’t look as hopeless anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I need to talk to Magnus first,” he says, almost to himself. “I need to make sure he would want to come. New York has been his home for a long time, and I don’t know how he would feel about living among Shadowhunters. Of course everything would be just a portal away and…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Jace says, smiling as he feels some of the weight lift from Alec’s shoulders. “Yeah, you do that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you, Jace,” Alec says sincerely. It feels so good to see him smile again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Always,” Jace says with a nod and he watches as Alec goes to leave the training room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh,” he says. He walks to where Alec had stopped and turned to look at him again. Jace takes a stele out of his pocket and lifts the hem of Alec's shirt enough to run the stele over the iratze just above his parabatai rune. Jace drops the shirt and watches as Alec flexes his healed fingers.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Thanks," Alec says quietly, keeping his eyes on his hand rather than looking Jace in the eyes. Jace knows it's a difficult topic and he thinks they've done enough talking for today, so with his hands finally healed Jace feels okay with letting him go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Go home," Jace says, a smile on his face as he gently pushes Alec's shoulder. "Your husband is waiting."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Goodnight Jace," Alec says as he turns to leave for a second time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This time Jace lets him go.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Wired from their sparring, it takes a moment before Jace feels calm enough to go to bed. He goes to his room and showers before getting comfortable with a book. Before he falls asleep he focuses on his parabatai rune, and he knows he can rest easy when the last bits of anxiety have left his parabatai and all he can sense is happiness and relief.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can find me from <a href="https://sugarandspace.tumblr.com">tumblr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/sugarandspace_">twitter</a>! If there's something specific you'd like to read, you can send me a prompt!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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